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United States v. Graham, 4th Cir. (2002)
United States v. Graham, 4th Cir. (2002)
No. 01-4682
COUNSEL
Melisa W. Gay, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, for Appellant. John
Stuart Bruce, United States Attorney, Anne M. Hayes, Assistant
United States Attorney, Raleigh, North Carolina, for Appellee.
OPINION
PER CURIAM:
Emmett Madison Graham appeals his sentence imposed after resentencing pursuant to an order granting in part 28 U.S.C.A. 2255
(West Supp. 2001) relief. At re-sentencing, the district court departed
upward and imposed a 115-month term of imprisonment. On appeal,
Graham argues that his conviction and sentence should be vacated
due to challenges based upon Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466
(2000), and Castillo v. United States, 530 U.S. 120 (2000), that the
district court erred in departing upward based upon Grahams criminal history, and that the court erred in re-assessing monetary penalties
imposed by the original judgment. Finding no error, we affirm.
We find that the issues related to Apprendi and Castillo are collateral attacks on Grahams conviction and original sentence, and were
decided previously by the district court in Grahams 28 U.S.C.A.
2255 proceeding. Any claim that does not originate from a resentencing order is deemed a collateral attack. In re Taylor, 171 F.3d
185, 187-88 (4th Cir. 1999). If Apprendi issues raised on direct appeal
were not at issue by reason of re-sentencing, the claims are deemed
a collateral attack. United States v. Smith, 241 F.3d 546, 548 (7th
Cir.), cert. denied, 122 S. Ct. 267 (2001). Graham previously filed an
appeal of the order adjudicating these claims, and we dismissed the
appeal on grounds unrelated to the merits of the claims.
The district court decided to depart upward in sentencing Graham
because he had several convictions that were not counted in determining his criminal history score. In particular, the court cited three convictions for driving while impaired in 1975, 1978, and 1983, with the
1978 offense warranting a one-year term of imprisonment. In addition
to its statements at re-sentencing, the court discussed the possible
departure in the May 11, 2001, order, directing re-sentencing.
The district courts decision to depart is reviewed for abuse of discretion. Koon v. United States, 518 U.S. 81, 98-99 (1996). A district
court may depart on the basis of an encouraged factor if the applicable
guideline does not already take it into account. United States v. Brock,
108 F.3d 31, 34 (4th Cir. 1997). The sentencing guidelines expressly
sented in the materials before the court and argument would not aid
the decisional process.
AFFIRMED